Logistical support apparatus for weapons vehicles

Abstract

To resupply a weapons vehicle, a resupply vehicle carries a docking boom which is maneuvered into a docking position to mate a docking head at its free end with a docking port on the weapons vehicle. The weapons vehicle is resupplied with ammunition and fuel through the docking boom. A wire communications link between the vehicles is also established through the boom. The boom docking and resupply operations are remotely controlled from within the resupply vehicle.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letter Patent is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for adaption to a resupply vehicle to resupply a weapons vehicle, said apparatus comprising, in combination: A. a docking port provided on the weapons vehicle;   B. a docking boom having one end mounted to the resupply vehicle and a free end;   C. a docking head mounted to said free end of said docking boom and configured to mate with said docking port;   D. remotely controllable actuating means for maneuvering said docking boom into a docking position with said docking head into mating relation with said docking port;   E. an ammunition conveyor mounted by said docking boom for conveying ammunition from the resupply vehicle to the weapons vehicle through said docking port; and   F. fluid resupply means including a first fluid coupling positioned in said docking port, a second fluid coupling positioned in said docking head, and a resupply hose extending along said docking boom from said second fluid coupling to the resupply vehicle, said first and second fluid couplings being in fluid coupled relation when said docking head and docketing port are in mating relation to convey a fluid from the resupply vehicle to the weapons vehicle.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, which further includes a video camera positioned in said docking head to provide visual guidance while maneuvering said docking boom into said docking position. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said docking boom includes enclosing structure through which said ammunition conveyor and resupply hose extend. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus defined in claim 3, which further comprises a communications link including a first electrical coupler positioned in said docking port, a second electrical coupler positioned in said docking head, and a wire link extending from the resupply vehicle through said docking boom enclosing structure to said second electrical coupler, said first and second electrical couplers being in electrically coupled relation when said docking head and said docking port are in mating relation to support communications exchange between the resupply and weapons vehicles. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein said first and second electrical couplers are inductive couplers. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said one end of said docking boom is pivotally mounted to the resupply vehicle for swinging movement in azimuth for deployment from a stowed position against the resupply vehicle. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein said docking boom includes an extensible section powered by said actuating means to vary the length of said docking boom. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, which includes multiple said fluid resupply means for separately conveying fuel and liquid propellant to the weapons vehicle. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein said docking head includes an ammunition port aligned with the exit end of said ammunition conveyor, a shutter mounted for movement between a closed position blocking said ammunition port and an open position clear of said ammunition port, and a video camera mounted by said shutter in position to view said docking port through said ammunition port and a peephole in said shutter. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein said docking port includes a first coupler pad incorporating said first fluid coupling, and said docking head includes a conical docking cone for nesting with a frontal opening of said docking port when said docking head and docking port are in mating relation, a rotatably mounted backwall for carrying a second coupler pad incorporating said second fluid coupler, and a first remotely controlled actuator for rotating said backwall to align said second coupler pad with said first coupler pad and then advancing said second coupler pad toward said first coupler pad to move said second coupling into fluid coupling relation with said first coupler while said docking head and docking port are in mating relation. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus defined in claim 10, wherein said docking port includes an alignment stop positioned to arrest rotating motion of said backwall when said second coupler pad achieves alignment with said first coupler pad and then to induce advancement of said second coupling into fluid coupling relation with said first coupling. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus defined in claim 11, wherein said docking head further includes a second remotely controlled actuator for rotating said second coupling into fluid-tight connection with said first coupling. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus defined in claim 12, wherein said docking head further includes valve operating means for opening said second coupling to fluid flow upon completing said fluid-tight connection with said second coupling. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus defined in claim 10, wherein said first coupler pad further incorporates a first electrical coupler, and said second coupler pad further incorporates a second electrical coupler, said second electrical coupler being advanced into electrical coupling relation with said first electrical coupling concomitantly with the advancement of said second coupling into fluid coupling relation with said first coupling. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus for adaption to a resupply vehicle to resupply a weapons vehicle, said apparatus comprising, in combination: A. docking port provided on the weapons vehicle;   B. a docking boom including 1) a shoulder section mounted to the resupply vehicle for pivotal movement in azimuth,   2) an extensible section having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said shoulder section for swinging motion of said extensible section in elevation,   3) a transition section having first and second ends,   4) a universal joint connecting said first end of said transition section to said second end of said extensible section for swinging motion of said transition section in both azimuth and elevation;     C. a docking head compliantly mounted to said second end of said transition section;   D. separate remotely controlled actuators for selectively rotating said shoulder section in azimuth, selectively swinging said extensible section in elevation, selectively varying the length of said extensible section, and selectively swinging said transition section in azimuth and elevation to maneuver said docking boom into a docking position with said docking head in mating relation with said docking port; and   E. conveyor means extending through said shoulder, extensible and transition sections of said docking boom for conveying ammunition from the resupply vehicle to the weapons vehicle through said docking port.   
     
     
       16. The apparatus defined in claim 15, wherein said extensible section includes a pair of said actuators of a linear actuator type having opposed ends pivotally connected to said shoulder section and said universal joint to provide a parallelogram linkage between said transition and shoulder sections, whereby, equal activations of said pair of linear actuators vary the length of said extensible section, unequal activations of said pair of linear actuators swing said transition section in elevation, and, with said pair of linear actuators de-activated, the attitude of said transition section relative to said shoulder section remains unchanged as said extensible section swings in elevation. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus defined in claim 15, wherein said conveyor means includes a first conveyor section for conveying ammunition through said shoulder boom section, a second conveyor section for conveying ammunition from said first conveyor section through said extensible boom section, and a third conveyor section for conveying ammunition from said second conveyor section through said transition boom section, said second conveyor section being an extensible conveyor section whose length is varied concomitantly with variations in the length of said extensible boom section by at least one of said actuators. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus defined in claim 17, which further comprises fluid supply means including a first fluid coupling located in said docking port, a second fluid coupling located in said docking head, and a resupply hose extending through said docking boom from said second fluid coupling to the resupply vehicle, said first and second fluid couplings being in fluid coupling relation when said docking head and docking port are in mated relation. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus defined in claim 18, which further comprises a communications link including a first electrical coupler positioned in said docking port, a second electrical coupler positioned in said docking head, and a wire link extending from the resupply vehicle through said docking boom sections to said second electrical coupler, said first and second electrical couplers being in electrically coupled relation when said docking head and said docking port are in mated relation to support communications exchange between the resupply and weapons vehicles. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus defined in claim 18, wherein said docking head includes an ammunition port aligned with said third conveyor section, a shutter mounted for movement between a closed position blocking said ammunition port and an open position clear of said ammunition port, and a video camera mounted by said shutter in position to view said docking port through said ammunition port and a peephole in said shutter. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus defined in claim 18, wherein said docking port includes a first coupler pad incorporating said first fluid coupling, and said docking head includes a conical docking cone for nesting with a frontal opening of said docking port when said docking head and docking port are in mated relation, a rotatably mounted backwall for carrying a second coupler pad incorporating said second fluid coupler, and another one of said actuators for rotating said backwall to align said second coupler pad with said first coupler pad and then advancing said second coupler pad toward said first coupler pad to move said second coupling into fluid coupling relation with said first coupler while said docking head and docking port are in mated relation.